Thread-controlling mechanism for sewing-machines.



I". W. IVIERRICK.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWINGv N IEACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-19.19I0. www.

Il? il Patented May 16, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y wm. f5. @Naam COMPANY, OF BSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORAQCOIT F RTANE.

THREAD-CNRLLING l Maasai.

Application filed September i9, 1910.

To all whom it may coi-wem Be it known that l, FRANK W. Mnamcn,

a citizen of the United States. residingat Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of which are employed in sewing machines `ingthe leading end of the thread to be l "either in the operator@ vpull forward from t 1 the full amount o i thread that may oe Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thread-Controlling Mechanisms for Sevving-lillacliihes, of which the lfollowing` is a sl'iecification, reference being had there-in to the accom* panying drawings.

The invention has relation to the dev' .or controlling the thread which is supplied to the needle.

J The invention combines with a take for.V the thread which is supplied to t needle, and an intermittent threaddock cplerating to lock the thread at the supply-side "ot the ltake-up against the pull ot the latter at the time oi' each taking-up action and other times leaving the thread unlociQ-d, means adaptedto be brought into operation by the operator to prevent the locking of the thread while a taking-up action occV as for instance in starting the machine.

rlhe purpose is to enable the action of the thread-lock in intermittingly locking the thread to be temporarily suspended. so that, in practice, the material to he stitched having been inserted between the work-support and presser wnile the machine is standing at rest, on starting the machine the thread will not be locked at the supply-side of the take-up at the time o the tiret taking-up operation. fl`he result ot preventingj 'the thread-locking action at this time is, assumhand or by bang it the talreaip de ietation thereof will supply-side thereof clamped under presser, Vice 1n the said first oi needed for the operations in forming the first stitch. This obviates the rnecessity of drawing forward by hand from the source of supply, prior to starting up, a consider able amount of thread so as to provide at the work side of the takeaip a leading end of length great enough. for the said opera: tions, and intended to be drawn backward by the first taking-up action. Hereto'lwre much waste of thread has occurred because an excess of thread usually has l; i drawn forward in starting; up, such. ...X- cess being afterward cut oil and thrown EHANISM FR SEWNG-MACHNES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

aside. With this :feature of my invention 1n use, it is necessary to draw forward by hand at the outset only sulicient thread to 'furnish a free end to hold in one"s hand or to clamp under the presser. Thereby the waste referred to is obviated. ln carrying the invention into effect, the means for preventing the locking of the thread is most advantageously combined with the means for litt-ing the presser of the machine, so that at the same time. that the presser is raised in readiness to receive between it and the wollt-support the material to be stitched the lock-preventing means is rendered operative. 'With the lock-preventn ing means l combine means operated by a moving part of the machine, whereby the locl-preventingl means is automatically rendered inoperative, after the first taldngaip action has taken place. I usually employ a thread-lock ot' the type actuated by the.

thread itself in being taken up, and usually termed in the art a thread-grip, and combine the lock-preventer therewith in such manner that when the lock-preventer is brought into operation it prevents the pull of the thread under thetaling-up action from closing the thread-lock upon the thread, thereby attaining.;` the desired end of leaving the thread capable of rendering past the thread-lock as the take-up acts.

An embodiment of the various features of the invention is illustrated in the acco1npanyingg` drawings, in which latter,-

Figure l shows in side elevation certain of the parts of a curved needle sewing machine having the said embodiment applied in connection therewith, the tale-up arm being partly broken away to show the locl--1 reventer more clearly. Fig. 2 shows some of the said parts in plan. Fig. 3 shows in side elevation on a somewhat smaller scale some of the parte ot' a machine of the same order as that of Figs. l and 2, representing more iarticularly the presser-mechanism and the needle-and-awl mechanism.

Having reference to the drawings-the machine-frame is marked l, and 2 `is the main or driviifign shaft. At 3 is the worksupport, and ai is the .presser between which and the work-support the worlr o, to he stitched is placed. l will give a brief preliminary description ot' the presser-mechanism, and of the needle-and-awl mechanism, and then describe the parts morevmineldiately involved in the invention and explain the embodiment of the difiere nt improvements.

The presser-carrier is shown at 5, Fig. 3, chieiy in dotted lines, the pivotal support of the presser-carrier being'marked 6. Fig. 3 shows a convenient means of applying spring-tension to the presser-carrier to cause the presser to hold the material fr firmly against the Worlosupport. The

` presser-carrier is furnished with a down- Wardly-extending arm 7, with which is connected pivotally a rod-'9 that passes through -an opening in a small upright stand 10 rising from the bed of the machine-frame 1. The said rod is encircled at the rear of the said lstand by an expanding spiral spring proach the Work-support.

^ 15 is a curved awl, and 16- the aWl-carrier segment, 17 being a curved hooksneedle and 18 the needle-carrier segment. rlhe two carrier-segments are mounted to turn around a common center, and are connected .to swing in unisonby means of a pin 19 (shown by dotted lines) Vcarried by. one can lier-segment and passing transversely through a hole in the other carrierfsegment.

rlhey are actuated 'from themain or Idriving shaft 2 by means of an arm-20'projeeting from one carrier-segment, a link 21 having one end thereof connected pivotally to said arm, a walking-beam lever or rocker 22, (Fig.' 3) having the other end of link' 21 connected pivotall'y with its forwardlyprojecting arm, "and a link 2 3 having one fend thereof connected pivotally with, the rear- Wardly-projecting arm of the said Walkingbeam lever or rocker and the other end thereof engaged With a crank 2/1 on shaft 2.

The Wal-kingbeam lever or rocker 22 is con'- lstructed with a rockshaft 22' which is mounted in bearings in the head-portion ot 4machine-frame 1; As the sha-:tt 2rotates,

' motion -is transmitted from the crank vthrough the, described connections 'to the two carrierfsegments, oscillating; the 'latter a freedoinf-'om Wear and-lireakages are and the aWl and needle mounted thereon! r Referring, now, to the thread-guide4 by. 'which the thread islaid aroundthe needle and" into the openeye of the latter,v it isf; 'shown zit-"25, Figs-.'1- and 2. 1t is'secured to. i a carrierle'ver 26.--" 'I-"construct the said carj` rierflever with an open hub-portiomashovvn best ini-Fig. `1,'fvvhich.eneireles'loosely a col lar-2? ,that is'sleeved loosely upon. the transe? ,i

nieuwe verselv-extending;` horizontal roe I oi the Walking-beam lever Aor The said hub-portion is swiveled to the/said Icollar by means of upper and lowerl centerfl p screws 28, 28. As thus mounted, the threadguide carrier-lever is capable of-l swinging transversely in the direction of4 the` 1ength of2 the rockshat upon its pivotal connectionl with the' collar, While in addition .thejear-I. 75Kl having' a cam-groove' receiving a cam-tollower 26? which is connected with .the rear arm of the'carrier-lever. both radial throws acting to oscillate'the s The said cam has carrier-le er and thread-guide vertically, and lateral throws. acting 'to swingth'e ear- :vier-lever and thread-'guide transversely, aso as thereby` to cause the thread-guide "to travel inthe required path t0 lay the thread in the eyey 01T' the needle. In practice, a:

spring, 26", actsl upon carrier-lever 26 with.

a tendency to press the cam-follower 26a` toward the bottom of the cam-groove.

At 30a-is the threadfingeror ,th-readfhook' by means of Which the length of threadto beidrawn tb1o'ugh mate1ial 1a by the needlel in the descent of the needle is extended in a It is secured to a carrier- ;y

bend orl bight.

lever 31 which -is'v mounted uponrock'sbaft-If' 22 alongside the collar )2 7 Withrapacity ti turn loosely on the `saidd rockshaft, and

actuated by means of an edge-cam32 onl Shaft 2,. which engages with: a cam-follovvery 31a carried' by the rear arm of the carrierlever3l= npractice, a spring, 31h, acts upon the carrier-lever 31 With a. tendency to press the cam-follower 31a ag'ainst the edge ofthe cam 32.

rllhe employment of. the roekshaft 22a" of Athe actuatingfrocker or Walking-beam lever of the needle-and-aWl mechanism as a' support for the carrierllevers- Vof the thread-- guide and threadnger vor thread-hook prouvideseliectively for thefsecuremounting of the said' carrier-levers the properrelative positions with respect 'to theother working arts to obtain advantageously ,thev co- 'pperation .of 'the threadguide' and thread- 'ti'nger' or; thread-hook with .the needle, slackl thread contr-ellen. and take-up', and dispenses with separate studs-or pivots. The general constructionof the machine is simplifed l and improved, andv durability and seeuieuil-.zl y

Reference will now be made to. the takingy.up and locking devices for theneedle-thread.

The latter as-it extendsllomthe source off.;-

supply .passes down --into the Wax-pot 33,.

then up to and through aj tension-deviceF34'1x then-to the loc-king device, then to the. takef up, -and.thence past' at slackhread 'conv- I prefer. This form comprises an eccentric- ,ass

For the purpose of enabling the lock-pre the'threadl thereon, at the time et the talring- 6a in the position occupied by it 'in Fig. 1,'

.piece 53 which is fixed upon a short rockshaft 54, the latter being journaled in a bearing in the fixed head-portion of the machine-frame, adjacent-.the grip-lever. ln one position, a portion of short radius of the 'said' eccentric-piece is presented toward the long arm of the grip-lever, and as lwhen this is the case the grip-lever is permitted to move so as to grip the thread as described above, the gripping actionftakes place at the time of each taking-up action. This is the normal position of theeccei'itric-piece, and is retained by it during the'continuous working'of the machina lua-'second position of the eccentric-piece a portion thereof ofy longer radius is presented toward the griplever, this portion acting to prevent the grip-lever from moving under the pull of up action, far' enough to grip the thread.

-The veccentric-piece is shown in, this, posi tionin Fig. 1 of the drawings, with Athe long arm of the grip-lever resting against the eccentric-piece* and the grip-lever being gprs# ,vented from pinching the thread between the stud or projection and the backing or rest 51.

venting member 53 tobe called into action manually, its roclrshai't 54 has fixed thereon a vnger v55, Fig. l, and an actuating lever 56 is pivoted at r563:' to the head-portioir of the' machine-frame, one arm of the said lever extending under the said finger. By l turning the said lever so as to raisethe said arm it is causedto engage with the linger and turn the member 53 from its normal idle position into its Working position shown in Fig.- l for engagement with the griplever. Normally the said arm of the ac-` tuating lever is'depressed slightly from its position in Fig. 1,.so -as to permit the-member 53v to assume and retain its normal position which allows the grip;1ever to act in gripping the thread. For convenient .ac-

tuation of the actuating-lever atthe' same time that the presser Il is raised manually, the other arm of the actuating lever is connected, in the present instance, 'by a rod 57 with the foot-treadle '-,ftor use in' raising the presser. For pressei'raisin'g purposes, the said treadle'has connected therewith a -rod 59, the. upper end-.ofwhich connects of which extends up at the rear of a 'collar 62 on a cylindrical piece 63 which is mounted on the rear end of rod 9. The said piece 63 has a threaded hole tapped in one end thereofland is screwed upon the said rear end. When the treadle is depressed, bellcrank 60, 6l, is rocked and in the .forward movement of its arm 6l the latter engages the collar 62, pushing rod 9 forward against the resistance of spring 1l and rocking the presser-carrier so as to separate the presser from the work-support. The character and construction of the connections cfor raising the presser and calling the lock-preventing member into action may be varied as desired in practice.

which is within such patin The machine having .stopped with the various parts in the positions occupied by them in Fig.v 1,

-or in substantially those'positions, with the member 53 in position for engagement with the grip-lever,.the said member remains in such position, preventing thev grip-device from closing upon the thread. This leaves the thread capable ofy rendering through the grip-device. Prior to restarting the machine, the Aleading end of the thread is" placed beneath the presser and the latter is permitted to descend upon such end, or the end is held in the hand of the operator. The walking-beam leveror roclrer22 moves first in the direction to cause the awl 15 to enter the material a, and in so moving it carries thev inger l65 upward away from the finger 64. A taking-up movement of the take-up arm also occurs, during which the gripfdevice is prevented by the member :53 from holding the thread, and the thread renders from the source ofV supply to the extent called for by the takingnp action.

linger 64. Through thisngagementothe inoperative and restore the thread-'grip to operativeness after such taking-up movement has occurred.

13. In combination, a take-up, a threadgrip having a movable gripping member actuated by the thread itself in being taken up, andan eccentric grip-control member' which in its normal position permits movement of said gripping-member and the gripping of the thread, and movable under control of the operator into another position in which it prevents such movement and prevents the gripping action during a takingup action.

14. In combination, a take-np, a threadgrip having a movable gripping-member actuated by the thread itself in being taken up, an eccentric grip-control member which in its normal position permits movement of said gripping-member and the gripping of the thread, and movable under control of the operator into another position in which it prevents such movement and the gripping Copies o! this patent may be obtained tornve cents each, by addressing the action, and means for returning said eccentric member to normal position when a taking-up movement has occurred and thereby rendering the thread-grip operative.

l5. lin combination, a take-up, a threadgrip having a lever actuated by the thread itself in being taken up, an eccentric member which in its normal position permits movement of said lever by the thread and the gripping of the latter when the take-up acts,'means through which the operator may cause such eccentric rmember to assume a position 4which prevents the gripping of the thread, and a moving part of the machine which automatically returns the eccentric member to its normal position after a takingup action has occurred.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK W. MERRICK.

Witnesses CHAs. F. RANDALL, NATHAN B. DAY.

Gommisiioxier of hunts.

Washington, EP. G. 

